Eczema on the Face

One of the worst places for an eczema sufferer to develop eczema is on their face because everybody sees other peoples faces. Having to cope with the dryness, itchiness, redness and inflammation of eczema is difficult enough but having it front and center on your face often causes problems with a person’s self image and level of self confidence which makes it an even more dismal skin disorder.

Eczema that affects the face has similar symptoms to when eczema affects other parts of the body. There is often dryness of the skin, redness, and on occasion if the eczema is severe enough, cracking of the skin, scabbing, scaling and oozing (or weeping) of fluid. Some patients suffer with eczema just on their faces while others experience it on other parts of their bodies as well.

Facial Eczema

One of the worst places for an eczema sufferer to develop eczema is on their face because everybody sees other peoples faces. Having to cope with the dryness, itchiness, redness and inflammation of eczema is difficult enough but having it front and center on your face often causes problems with a persons self image and level of self confidence which makes it an even more dismal skin disorder.

Eczema that affects the face has similar symptoms to when eczema affects other parts of the body. There is often dryness of the skin, redness, and on occasion if the eczema is severe enough, cracking of the skin, scabbing, scaling and oozing (or weeping) of fluid. Some patients suffer with eczema just on their faces while others experience it on other parts of their bodies as well.

Atopic Eczema

Atopic eczema is the most widespread type of eczema and it commonly begins in infancy and childhood. Many babies develop it between the ages of one to six months. Frequently the forehead and cheeks are affected first but then it can spread to other parts of the face and sometimes to the body as well. Some children have a localized form of eczema (i.e. just on their face) while others have a more generalized type that affects them all over.

Facial Eczema Symptoms

The three main symptoms of facial eczema are redness, dryness and constant itchiness. Not resisting the urge to scratch could lead to the affected skin becoming thicker and in some people, especially those with a darker skin tone, to the skin actually becoming darker due to the skin disorder.

When facial skin become thicker the normal markings of the skin often become more visible and this leads to the skins appearance being described as lichenification. The eyelids of the sufferer are often a target for problems when this happens. Thickening of the eyelids (or blepharitis) can be a persistent recurring problem for those afflicted by facial eczema.

Seborrhoeic Eczema

Seborrhoeic eczema is often another common reason for facial eczema to plague both many adults as well as many children. When adults develop it the areas affected are the scalp, the inner eyebrows and the creases beside the nose. Sometimes the eyelids (blepharitis) are affected as well.

The scalp in this instance sheds dandruff and the facial skin is red and shows yellowish types of flakes. Seborrhoeic eczema is believed to be connected to an allergy of a yeast that is naturally found in the seborrhoeic or greasy areas of both the scalp as well as the face. This kind of eczema tends to be very frustrating and commonly recurs time and time again.

Seborrhoeic eczema is slightly different in babies than it is in adults. If an infant is going to develop this kind of eczema he or she generally will get it before they turn three months old. This type, often referred to as cradle cap causes flakes behind the ears as well as thick yellowish flakes on the babys scalp but rarely affects any other part of the face.

The good news about this form of eczema is that it generally goes away in the childs first year of life and it is not itchy. However approximately one quarter of children who develop seborrhoeic eczema will be at a higher risk of developing atopic eczema down the line.